Kingdom of Scattered Hearts
by Apricot-Angel
Summary: Riku is suffering from a fatal disease. A disease known as nostalgia. A decade has passed, and Riku’s friends have moved on with their lives, but how can he cope, even ten years after his journey ended? Set after KH2!


**Albeit post KH2 fanfictions are common, I still wanted to have a go at writing a one-shot about my take of what should happen after Kingdom Hearts Two! Set TEN years after KH2! **

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"Riku! How do I look?"

Sora twisted and turned, modelling nervously for his best friend Riku. Riku rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh.

"You look...decent."

"Huh? What do you mean!?" Sora went into a panicked frenzy, "I don't get it! This is the one you told me to buy!"

"Sora, relax, I was kidding." Riku calmed the anxious brunette, approaching him to fix his iron-pressed collar and velvet tie. "You're looking sharp."

Sora grinned triumphantly, "Thanks!" It was then Sora noticed what his childhood friend had decided to wear. Riku stylishly sported a dark blue buttoned dress shirt paired with black trousers. Sora frowned. "Riku! What do you think you're doing!?"

"What?" questioned Riku, pausing to look down at his clothes, "what's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Riku..." started Sora, unhappy with his friend's response, "We agreed on this. Since I'm wearing a tuxedo, you're wearing one too! C'mon man, you promised you'd help me get through this!"

"Ugh fine!" groaned Riku, as he dejectedly began undoing the buttons of his dark blue dress shirt, "I don't get what you're so nervous about."

"'Course, you wouldn't understand, you've never done this before!" Sora pouted, as he began searching around Riku's bedroom for his polished leather shoes.

Riku sighed in defeat. Of course, _he_ wouldn't understand...

* * *

Riku stood obediently by his best friend, when he'd noticed the sapphire colour of Sora's eyes had lightened a hue. Everyone's attention averted behind him, and as they pleasantly gasped, Riku instinctively turned around.

Riku, himself couldn't help but gasp pleasantly. She truly was the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid his eyes on.

Kairi, standing tall like a statuesque doll, skipped gracefully down the beach like a gazelle, closely followed by an overly ecstatic Selphie Tilmitt. Riku swallowed hard, having difficulty to fathom how his best friend for so many years could have grown to become so beautiful.

Her dress was simplistic but elegant- the white silky material hugged her slender feminine figure which tastefully cascaded down her body loosely as if they were velvety flower petals, encasing the precious flower bud she was.

Ever since she turned sixteen, Riku noticed how Kairi had decided against having short hair again, and adorned her small face with long, dark cherry locks, much to Riku's pleasure. Today her dark flaming tresses were in the style of gentle waves, moderate and light like the tranquil flow of sea water.

It was more than a decade a go Riku had dismissed his affections for Kairi as a hopeless desire pitted within the depths of his lonely, darkness-tainted heart. She was the Princess of_ his_ heart. But Kairi had- and always will have- eyes for Sora.

And their wedding day was especially no exception.

Finally, the heart-warming, idealistic scene was replayed in Riku's mind as if it were a movie. The two young lovers were reunited at the hand. Kairi stared lovingly into Sora's eyes; the pair stood staring so deeply, Riku could not comprehend how far off the pair had immersed themselves with their love.

"You..." Sora blushed deeply at the sight of his sweetheart, "...look beautiful."

"Thank you," replied Kairi ever-so sweetly, "you don't half bad yourself there,"

Sora chuckled, scratching the back of his head bashfully. Even after all these years, Riku's best friends remained unchanged as far as their friendship and personality went.

Physical appearances, however, were to the contrary. Over the past decade, Sora's height shot dramatically up, now he was almost the same height as Riku. His brown locks had darkened over the years, his wild array of spikes now slightly longer. Kairi had grown taller all the same, but still remained at the average height being just upto Riku's shoulders. Her hair had darkened a hue, contrasting to her smooth, pale skin. However, Riku personally did not believe he'd changed so much over the time period. Sure, his hair had grown out down passed his shoulders, which he regularly tied at the base of his neck, but that was pretty much about it.

"Dearly beloved," the priest began ceremoniously, "we are gathered here today to celebrate the joyous union of Sora and Kairi..."

Riku could not help but stare at the pair of soon-to-be newlyweds that were his best friends. To think they were getting married to _each other_, before Riku, was beyond comprehension. Being twenty-seven years old, Riku was now starting to feel the pressure from the people around him to tie the knot, and fast. Riku's mother, especially, appeared to be experiencing considerable grief at the fact her son, in his late twenties, still had no distant plans to marry.

"Oh Riku!" his mother would cry, her sorrowful face creased with age, "why do you refuse to marry? Why do you object to bringing me grandchildren? Do you hate you mother so? Oh, Riku!"

Riku frowned. He did not particularly despise _or_ reject the notion of marriage. He figured it would be nice to settle down with someone he felt so strongly about. But the fact was that he did not know anyone he truly did feel that strong about. Perhaps Kairi, at some point, but he always knew Sora was the one for her, no matter how much he tried. That raft had sailed a long, _long_ time ago.

The priest then pronounced them husband and wife, and Riku chuckled when Sora was hesitant to kiss his wife in public- something that they'd never do. With Riku's encouragement, and a playful nudge, Sora gingerly took Kairi's small face in his hands and gently kissed her.

The crowed cooed pleasantly at the commemoration of Sora and Kairi's union, and then the bride wasn't the only one who was blushing when they parted.

The party, composed of Sora and Kairi's closest friends and family, headed up off the beach off to the celebrations that were yet to commence. But Riku, much to his discretion, had plans to slip out of the party halfway through. He was sure to escape before Sora and Kairi had their cloying ideas of hooking Riku up with one of their family friends in hope of their friend finding his "special someone"...

* * *

"Another one, please."

The bartender slid another glass of beer Riku's way, and he fervently sipped at the liquid to suppress his bitterness. Sure, it was great that his best friends were getting married, but he couldn't help the sinking feeling he was experiencing...

"Riku!"

Riku cussed to himself. Sora had caught up with him, probably trying to play matchmaker to help Riku get his act together and get married before it was too late.

"Riku, I was-"

"No, Sora!" yelled Riku, "I do not want to get together with one of your friends. Just give it up- I'll get married when I damn well want to!"

A deathly silence ensued. Riku paused and put down his glass, before sighing, "I'm sorry. Just-"

"It's cool, Riku," replied Sora, taking a seat on an adjacent bar stool to Riku's. Sora's hair was more wild and dishevelled than as per normal and his clothes had been adjusted to suit his informal customs- tie loosened, jacket off, et cetera. "um...I'll have a glass of bourbon," and with a swift movement, the glass of alcohol had reached Sora's hands.

"So," Riku slurped at his drink as he asked mockingly, "how's married life?"

"It's...different, but it's nice. I think I could really get used to-"

"Sora. Relax, you've only been married for six hours." And the pair laughed unrestrained, just as they did, all those years ago...

Riku paused, silencing at the recollection of the past.

"Riku? What's wrong?"

Riku sighed, pressing his fingers to his temples, "So...where are you two going for the honeymoon?"

"Oh!" Sora completely forgot about his previous thought. "We're going on cruise across to a distant island. I forgot what it's called- but I hear it's really tropical and quiet and-"

"Why not go Atlantica?"

"Huh?"

Riku heartily swallowed his mouthful of alcohol before continuing, "Wouldn't you prefer somewhere more exotic? Atlantica? Halloween Town, perhaps? What about The Land Of The Dragons?"

The enthusiastic blue flame of Sora's eyes dimmed. "Riku..."

"C'mon Sora. Don't you ever think about it? Don't you miss your old friends? Donald, Goofy? King Mickey? You can't just forget something like that, Sora. This journey is not over!"

"Riku!" exclaimed Sora, "I...I really haven't picked up a Keyblade in ages...and you know that part of our lives is long over. We've saved the worlds, Riku. We've rid the worlds of heartless and nobodies. The door to light has been opened. Everything is the way is should be. The world is at peace Riku, why can't you accept that?"

"I can't accept that!" growled Riku, "Not now, not ever. We were never meant to be confined to this tiny world. There's so much more we can accomplish. I'm saying I can never accept the world is at peace because our work is not done! It will never be done- the darkness and light will always be at battle! This peace is nice while it lasts, but we have to be prepared for the inevitable-"

"NO Riku!" interjected Sora, "Stop it Riku. I'm sick of this. I'm tired of arguing about this over and over again. It's been ten years Riku- _ten _years! You think if the darkness was making its return it would have happened sooner? I've moved on Riku. Life goes on. And, to be honest, I'm happy with the way things are right now-"

"Don't," Riku muttered darkly, "Don't say another word."

"Riku, maybe you should be with someone-"

Sora paused in mid-sentence when he received a dangerous glare from his friend- "Sorry."

Sora excused himself, for which Riku was grateful for, because his bitterness was not making the night any better for Sora nor himself. He just really needed to be alone- him and his alcohol...

* * *

Kairi waved animatedly to her beloved family and friends as they slowly disappeared into minuscule dots on the horizon. Kairi then turned, to be met with the gloomy, worried expression of her beloved Sora.

"What's wrong?"

Sora sighed audibly, leaning his arms over the metal bars bordering the cruise ship as he stared out into the ocean, "I'm worried about Riku."

"Oh? What's wrong with Riku?" implored Kairi.

"Well. I dunno, that's the thing..." Sora paused, considering what had been said between them on the evening of their wedding. "Riku...he seems to be really sad about the whole '_this is the way life is from now on, meaning no more journeys'_ arrangement."

"Hmm...Well, I guess we can't really help that,"

"Huh?"

"I mean-" Kairi paused, pondering absently to herself. "Riku...Riku's always been like that. He's always been curious of the unknown. And now that he's seen so much of other worlds, it hurts to simply settle down like we have. I guess it's just something he's going to have to get used to...?"

"Trust me," Sora muttered, "Riku is Riku. He's not going to give up this idea for a long time yet. I'm just worried he might...y'know..."

"I think Riku might have learnt his lesson from the last time he opened the Door To Darkness all those years ago,"

"Well...It got him what he wanted, right? Freedom?"

Kairi said nothing for a long while, the worry now beginning to appear across her smooth brow. Unfortunately, she knew within herself it was likely Riku would be up to something. She herself wondered if she were still capable of summoning a Keyblade...

*******

**Yeah, I know it was crappy. But if, somehow, you like the basic idea of this story, I may even consider turning this into a series- my OWN Kingdom Hearts 3! Let's see how far I could go with this idea. Thanks for reading!**


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